1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a TiAgN coating layer, a TiAgN coating method, and a TiAgN coating apparatus, particularly wherein a TiAgN coating monolayer is provided in the form of a nano complex having a grain size of about 50˜100 nm. More particularly, the present invention provides a TiAgN coating layer, method, and apparatus wherein the coating layer is provided via control of the rotation speed of a jig in a chamber and adjustment of the roughness of a substrate before coating, thereby providing a coating layer that exhibits both low friction characteristics and heat resistance, and thereby increasing mass productivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
A TiAgN coating, which has overcome poor heat resistance of DLC, is currently available as a coating for engine driving parts. This coating has low friction characteristics and high heat resistance. However, as the amount of Ag increases in the coating to provide the low friction characteristics, hardness may be decreased. As a result, the coating is provided with undesirably poor durability.
Although this problem may be solved by manufacturing a TiAgN/TiN multilayer coating, upon formation of the multilayer coating, TiN (heat resistance)/Ag (low friction) layers may become discontinuous in the TiAgN coating monolayer. As a result it becomes, impossible to provide both the necessary low friction characteristics and heat resistance. Also, there are difficulties in achieving mass production due to the use of hybrid PVD (physical vapor deposition) to form the multilayers.
Korean Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-2011-0016347 (KR10-2011-0016347 A), entitled “Method of forming electronic material film, and method and apparatus for manufacturing electronic device using the same,” discloses that “The present invention is directed to a method of forming a thin film for use in electronic and electrical devices using sputtering. This film may protect a substrate or a lower layer or structure formed on the substrate from damage due to plasma and may have good electrical/material properties. The target material may include conductive, semiconductive, resistive materials, etc., or examples thereof may include TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide) such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). A deposition process includes forming a unit electronic material film or a unit electrode layer via sputtering and surface-treating the unit electronic material film or the electrode layer using neutral particle beams obtained from non-reactive elements.”
Nevertheless, there are no known techniques for manufacturing the TiAgN/TiN multilayer coating nor techniques for exhibiting not only heat resistance but also low friction characteristics.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.